The $100 Question: Jenny On The Spot Asks Where Your Creative Inspiration Comes From

sandy vincent

I get inspiration from nature, and from other creative people.

Everything about where I live: the cities; the people; the coastlines; the rainfall; the sunshine; the copious amounts of GREEN. All of it inspires me to get outside and write outside the lines.

I'm constantly inspired by a group of ladies on Flickr who sew, quilt, knit, crochet, stitch, embroider, you name it. I love seeing the amazing and creative things they put together, and I'm usually inspired to try new projects because of them.

Nature, the people around me, and even technology can be inspirational.

I have a ton, but I'll try to be as brief as possible:

My grandmothers -- they are/were incredibly unique women with a natural sense for style -- especially with accessories
Design magazines -- what more could I ask for?
Vintage magazines -- since I love all that is vintage these are a natural for me
Vintage fabric -- I feel like it demands attention, but also gives off inspiration in a way I've never found elsewhere
Vintage patterns -- sometimes it really is true that they used to do it better way back when
Blogs -- be they design focused, mommy focused, whatever, I can always find something inspiring
Nature -- I live and love in New England, need I say more?

This is fun! I just blogged about this ( http://crunchybetty.com/?p=207 ):

Oddly enough, my creative inspiration comes from cleaning the kitchen. I mean, yeah, it comes from other places sometimes, but there's nothing like soapy, pruny hands scrubbing away that sparks my creativity.

I'm weird like that.

Find out what's freshly weird in Manitou Springs: www.crunchybetty.com ( http://www.crunchybetty.com )

the outdoors. I love writing in my journal while I am outside on my porch sipping my coffee and observing the birds on my feeders and the wind blowing through the trees.

My creative inspiration comes from my sketch book. It's by getting up in the early hours of the morning, before the house stirs, I sip my coffee, and sketch. It puts my thoughts in perspective and prepares me for my day.

I think comes from colours, patterns, life as it happens... all sorts of things.

I get my creative inspiration from my mom. My mom has Stage IV lung cancer. She has never smoked a day in her life. The minute she told me she had lung cancer, I knew that becoming a lung cancer advocate was my calling.
Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer and the LEAST funded. ANYONE can get lung cancer. It's no longer just a smoker's disease. Most people do NOT know this. In fact, 60% of new lung cancer cases are diagnosed in people who have never smoked, or former smokers who quit decades ago. Regardless, no one deserves lung cancer.
I am using my skills as a former reporter and now PR and social media practitioner to increase awareness and funding for lung cancer through my politically incorrect campaign called, "WTF? (Where's the Funding) for Lung Cancer?" Yes, you get the double-entendre and yes, the name is "mother-approved." http://www.facebook.com/mskbyoung#!/WTFLungCancer?ref=ts
I started my campaign six months ago and it growing like crazy - with more than 3,200 Facebook fans and I am now in the process of creating "WTF Mobs" (chapters) across the country.
I am chronicling my mom's journey (and others) through lung cancer to show the true faces of lung cancer and chip away at the stigma (that should no longer exist) and that has prevented lung cancer from getting the attention and funding it so greatly deserves. (The 5 year lung cancer survival rate has gone unchanged for more than 40 years.)
My mom is one heck of a lady to allow me to tell her story - the good, bad and the ugly - to help bring attention to a disease that ANYONE can get, but that continues to be ignored. I refuse to let this happen. My mom is my creative inspiration - and more.

comes from my grandchildren. I may be getting older in years but they keep me young. They inspire me to try new things and anyone with small children will know that you need a creative imagination to keep them interested.

What wonderful parents!

Jenny Ingram writes at Jenny On The Spot ( http://www.jennyonthespot.com ) and wears glitter everyday. She also digresses over there on the Twitter @jennyonthespot ( http://twitter.com/jennyonthespot ).

Sounds like you are a treasure trove of inspiration!!!

Jenny Ingram writes at Jenny On The Spot ( http://www.jennyonthespot.com ) and wears glitter everyday. She also digresses over there on the Twitter @jennyonthespot ( http://twitter.com/jennyonthespot ).

I get so much inspiration from other creatives!

Jenny Ingram writes at Jenny On The Spot ( http://www.jennyonthespot.com ) and wears glitter everyday. She also digresses over there on the Twitter @jennyonthespot ( http://twitter.com/jennyonthespot ).

My life experiences are my inspiration. I could go somewhere and see something and that may inspire me to do something I would have never thought to do otherwise. Or I could hear about something from a friend that could make me change my whole view on life. Life is inspiring.

Hands down, my Creative Inspiration comes from my kids. They are uncensored and honest, full of frivolity and beans. Their needs inspire me to come up with creative solutions, and their wants inspire me to be better at it.

noggintoppers.wordpress.com

I find it coming from my kids. Or Facebook. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Landismom blogs at

My cat. She sees the world differently than I do. She reminds me to stop and smell the flowers, or take time to relax, or to treat myself.

Also, that pouncing is fun!

Sonja

The Mud and the Lotus ( http://www.mudandlotus.com )

I tend to invite inspiration to turn up (like magic) by asking "What if..."

However, when it comes to blogging, creative inspiration is very much community generated. The articles and blogs I read trigger ideas for my own blog and I link back. Other times I overcome my shyness and post a comment at a stranger's blog--like now!

Jenny ( http://www.acquiring-magic.blogspot.com/ )

Totally. That's where all my stuff sprouts... life... as it happens :)

Jenny Ingram writes at Jenny On The Spot ( http://www.jennyonthespot.com ) and wears glitter everyday. She also digresses over there on the Twitter @jennyonthespot ( http://twitter.com/jennyonthespot ).

Me too... so many wonderful ideas out there to build on!

Jenny Ingram writes at Jenny On The Spot ( http://www.jennyonthespot.com ) and wears glitter everyday. She also digresses over there on the Twitter @jennyonthespot ( http://twitter.com/jennyonthespot ).

I love this... I agree wholeheartedly! And I love your last 2 sentences... "I think these decaying parts of our recent history are reminders of how impermanent we are. It is fascinating also to see how these structures are altered by the world around them."

Jenny Ingram writes at Jenny On The Spot ( http://www.jennyonthespot.com ) and wears glitter everyday. She also digresses over there on the Twitter @jennyonthespot ( http://twitter.com/jennyonthespot ).

Yes! It's all in that little shift of perspective!

Jenny Ingram writes at Jenny On The Spot ( http://www.jennyonthespot.com ) and wears glitter everyday. She also digresses over there on the Twitter @jennyonthespot ( http://twitter.com/jennyonthespot ).

It comes from a lot of places: my desire to always better myself, my fear of failure and the things around me, like nature.

First response is from 'aha' moments. Things fall into place like little dominoes. Secondly, I have found the artistic process very humbling because sometimes I don't think I am writing as much as channeling. I know I'm letting my hippy California Beach girl show a little but I get inspired by being present. Oh, and there's all the caffeine I drink, too.

Lee from www.coupledumb.com ( http://www.coupledumb.com/ )

Well-taken photos are my primary inspiration.

I'm over at Deckside Thoughts ( http://www.blogher.com/decksidethoughts.blogspot.c... )

My inspiration to chase my dreams, to write, to try new things, to push myself... it comes in different directions every day. I'm constantly on the look-out. I find it in nature, in books, in my friends and mostly from my parents who made me believe anything is possible.

Barbara Shallue writes about her life at http://barbarashallue.typepad.com and is contributing editor of http://jobs4autism.com.

Everywhere and everything! I go to plays, seminars, events, fundraisers, parties... I love to talk to people, I'm addicted to reading anything from newspapers and novels to cereal boxes - I've always been a list maker and journeler, which both include more ideas then I'll probably ever get to!

Nancy

http://teachingsundayschool.blogspot.com
http://www.abridescookbook.com/blog
http://www.givitup.com
http://onlinestoregivitup.blogspot.com
http://thenestempties.blogspot.com

I am always, always inspired by other creative people - bloggers (!), film directors, novelists, painters, actors, dancers, on and on.

Life. As it happens.

One Friday night, I loaded up my life and headed out... ( http://isledance.blogspot.com )

My inspiration comes from all over! I consider myself a creative person and I enjoy all types of crafts. I find inspiration in nature, in other people (especially Martha!) and in books and magazines.

I get a lot of my inspiration from nature. I am a jewelry artist and I create jewelry that is both contemporary and organic. I pull a lot of my inspiration from my time spent gardening in my backyard or hiking outside. I also pull from my travels abroad and in the U.S. My family goes to Florida every year for Christmas and I love to photograph the wild life, plants and ocean to get ideas as well.

I also enjoy finding the beauty in the ordinary. A rusty shed or a torn billboard can display beautiful patterns and interesting designs. Perhaps because I live in the Midwest, I like to look at old silos or stone fence posts that are being swallowed up by plants growing around them. I think these decaying parts of our recent history are reminders of how impermanent we are. It is fascinating also to see how these structures are altered by the world around them.

Elizabeth blogs at I'm the Boss of Me Now ( http://imthebossofmenow.blogspot.com ) and designs for Quite Clever Jewelry ( http://www.quiteclever.etsy.com ).

Rather than a design flaw, I get a design element!

often comes from mistakes! I see something or do something that isn't quite what I thought and I get plenty of ideas that way. Rather than a mistake, I get a "design flaw".